Chapter 5

Louis wore a sharp suit, his eyes tinged with fatigue, as if he had just left a boardroom meeting to fly to her side.

He smiled. "I kept trying to call you, but it wouldn't go through. I asked your mom, and she said you've been dealing with a lot lately. I thought I'd come see if I could help."

He looked apologetic. "Sorry for not asking your permission first..."

"Oh, and..." He pulled a box of medicine from his pocket and handed it to Emma. "I brought this for you. How's it going since you got back? How's your health?"

Warmth filled Emma's heart as she took it with a smile. "I'm doing fine. Thanks."

Three years ago, when she arrived in a foreign country, her mother, busy with work, couldn't always be there. She introduced Louis, the son of her close friend, to Emma as a companion.

Back then, Emma's weight drew strange looks, and she had closed herself off to others.

But Louis was like sunlight breaking through a winter's chill, caring for her deeply. During her painful treatments, he stayed by her side, encouraging her.

He was the first person, besides Nathan, to call her cute.

In their second year of friendship, Louis confessed his feelings, catching her completely off guard. She pretended not to understand, blaming the language barrier.

He just smiled and never brought it up again, knowing her heart belonged to the man whose photos she endlessly scrolled through on her phone.

With Louis as her only friend, they were inseparable. People assumed they were a couple, teasing them about when they'd get engaged.

Even Louis's mother seriously considered venues for their wedding, though Louis always stepped in to deflect.

Thinking of this, Emma's eyes grew misty. Over the years, Louis's care for her held no judgment.

All she could offer in return was a quiet, "Thank you."

She and Louis walked side by side into the elevator, each heading to their rooms, her heart unusually calm.

The next morning, Emma took Louis to try local breakfast specialties.

Though not a foreigner, Louis grew up abroad, so everything here felt novel to him.

They laughed and chatted until they ran into Nathan.

Seeing Emma so close with another man, Nathan's anger flared. He lashed out with sarcasm, not even considering he had no claim over the woman he knew as Snow. "No wonder you wouldn't let me touch you last night. Found a new guy already?"

Emma's face tightened. Louis spoke first. "Is that how a gentleman speaks to a lady?"

Louis recognized Nathan instantly from the photos Emma often looked at. To him, Nathan seemed even cruder in person.

"Who are you to butt into our conversation?" Nathan's rage blinded him to his own jealousy, his heart consumed by it.

Emma, unwilling to engage, grabbed Louis's hand to leave.

That simple gesture sent Nathan into a frenzy. Without warning, he rushed forward and punched Louis in the face.

Emma stepped in front of Louis, shouting, "Nathan, are you insane?"

Seeing her protect another man fueled Nathan's fury further. "One guy's not enough for you? Want me to find you a few more?"

In an instant, Emma raised her hand and slapped him hard.

She couldn't understand why Nathan had become this way, so different from the person in her memories.

Nathan just smirked, looking past her to Louis. "Don't let her innocent look fool you. She's got quite the wild side in bed..."

Louis, unfazed, put an arm around Emma's shoulders to lead her away.

Nathan followed, ready to say more, but froze under Louis's warning glare. "Should I sue you for slander and defamation?"

As they walked away, Nathan shouted at Emma's back, unwilling to let go. "Are you playing me? What do you take me for?"

Emma paused briefly but didn't turn around. She left with steady steps.